Saturday, 8 July 2017

An ex-customs official, Ngwoke Emmanuel, has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for attempting to smuggle cannabis through the Seme border to Lagos Island.

In his confession, he told officials that he was paid half a million naira to smuggle the parcel of drugs disguised as used clothes.

The cannabis, which weighed 394kg, was seized by Customs officers at the Gbaji checking-point along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

According to NDLEA spokesperson, the estimated value of the drug is N4m.

The 39-year-old suspect explained in his statement that he thought he was helping to smuggle used clothes.

Emmanuel said, “I was paid N500,000 to smuggle the goods from the border to Lagos Island but when the consignment was searched by customs officers at Gbaji checking point, it turned out to be cannabis.

That was how they arrested, dismissed and transferred me to NDLEA. I was only concerned about taking care of my wife and child. I did not know what next to do."